Hi!
Kirarin and I were talking on Wotachat# about why MM's single cases have gone back to being skinny cases for their singles, and it got to the whole sales and money issue. So, it was brought up that Morning Musume has declined a lot.
I beg to differ.
Yes, their sales have declined, and so has their fame, but I wouldn't say that no one else's has either. The worldwide music industry as whole's sales have vastly declined since illegal downloading and internet music download stores have taken off.
That's it.
Kirarin's posts are in Teal, mine are in Black, mp's in purple, and another person's in red. (I'm sorry, I forget already who this was)
-Midori
Hi!
Sorry I haven't been doing anything at all IW-wise or my blog wise, I've been really busy with the end of school and finals. T_T
On the bright side, now that school's out and I don't have many summer assignments at all, I'll be doing my best with both IW and this blog.
To start the summer off, I have the results from my survey. Here they are:
Gender and Age-
Almost everyone who answered is female, and 13-21, with only one guy answering it, in the 21-30 age bracket. This isn't too surprising, since I assume that most people who read my blog are female H!P fans like me, who are also about my age.
1., 2., & 3. These results aren't too surprising either. It seems that most of the bloggers listened to '90's American pop music like I did. Maybe there's some correlation between liking pop music as a kid and liking Jpop? This could be very likely, considering that many of these groups were considered mainstream pop sounding, like Jpop is now, and that they are generally groups all of one gender who sing with recorded or instruments they're not playing to back them up. Another similarity is the music videos, that weren't made so much to tell a story or to compliment the music as they were to show off the singers in some way. From how similar these groups are, I can safely say that there's at very least a small connection between liking the mainstream pop of the '90's to the similarly looking and sounding Jpop groups of the 2000's.
4. It seems that many of us have only first heard jpop very recently, after 2000. Maybe this could also tie into the previous question in saying that maybe we liked it because we'd had a long enough break from the music we knew as young children, and when we became tweens and teens we wanted to hear it again. It's also worth noting that a few of the respondants said they'd found it through anime, and were unsure of the most popular groups, another sign that they might've been drawn to the pop side of things, where everything is "pop" (meaning popular) and therefore there isn't really a sense of who's more popular, such as when there was the ever-going debate between N*Sync and the Backstreet Boys, no one really knew who was more popular, so they just kinda ignored it. Of course, in that case, they ignored it by not bothering to find out to settle the debate, and we just don't bother to find out.
5. & 6. It seems that many of the people surveyed have always liked the anime music, and a few liked both pop and Jrock, but now are leaning towards pop. This is probably because while both pop and rock songs are used for anime openings, pop's simply more catchy to the point where you want to hear it again and again. Also, some rock was popular in the '90's, so maybe that influenced them, but since there was more pop on the airwaves, they might've liked it slightly more. Also, many of the bloggers are still more into pop than rock, which would support that theory.
7. & 8. It seems that as the bloggers have grown attached to the poppy sound of Jpop, they listen to more Jpop than English music, but they still do listen to music in languages other than Japanese. This is probably because they're into the groups AND the genre, so if there's good music of similar style in their language, they might like it. Many of the bloggers seem to like Lady Gaga and other pop artists from many different countries that would suggest that if they're a fan of the genre, even if they do have their favorite groups, they will stick to finding new artists mainly in that genre, in this case pop.
9. This question was thrown in not to be analyzed, but out of pure curiosity. It seems that most of the bloggers hadn't been to concerts.
10. Most of the respondents don't seem to know about the future of the industry in their minds, but a few say that they'll keep buying if they keep making it. The general concensus is that they believe that they'll still like it in five years just as much as they do now. This brings up the point that, even though critics (and even some fans) say that pop is too generic, they still seem to like it as a whole, and believe that it can't get old.
11. & 12. It seems like the bloggers do, in fact, like Jpop the best out of everything they've listened to. Only one responder had one answer that didn't fall under the Jpop category. This could be interpereted that people will always like the kind of music that they've always liked best, in this case pop. It wouldn't mean that their tastes don't evolve, it just means that they evolve with their intrests, such as anime fans adapting to Japanese pop, like Japanese animation, compared to American pop perferrers perferring American animation.
13. The blogger's opinions are more mixed on American pop, where one says she likes it, another says he only likes Taylor Swift, and still others saying they don't like any of it. Maybe this means that American pop has grown in a different direction than American pop, one very different from the one that they like, the Japanese one that's similar to American '90's pop music, but it still hasn't gotten far enough to be completely obselete for some.
14. This question was for my own amusement, so...
And yes, Tenimyu does count as a musical by my defininition.
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Well, that's enough of my overanalyzing for today.
-Midori
Hello!
Berryz Koubou has released their latest PV, and I'll do a review for it, as usual!
I've been listening to nothing but Evita and Rent lately, so I'm in desperate need of some J-pop.
I'm going to be switching to a new review format for this PV- taking it step by step.
The Music is really shocking! I thought that this would be a really cutesy song with lots of Mini-Moni esque stuff. (I don't listen to the songs generally until the PV comes out.) Of course, the covers and PV shooting pictures should've led me to believe otherwise, but I thought that the covers used the costumes for RIVAL and that this would be totally different from that. I really like the beat of the song, and how this really doesn't fit what you think it would be by the title. I really like how every girl gets their own line, and the line that they get is always one that really fits their voice well for the song. I like how this is becoming more mature in the way that they're singing, and the music isn't exactly cutesy.
Costume-wise, while I can't say that I dig the girls' outfits when they're dressed as Bus Guides because the whole thing is that they're in love WITH the bus guide, and they're boys, not female Bus Guides. (Unless they're lesbos in the PV or sex-changing, age changing creepers) Dare I say it, but the dance shot outfits, while sexy and short on the bottom, could use a little skimping on the tops. They wear less during concerts, and they could go for an even more sexy outfit with the more mature music, so I wouldn't mind it. The boy costumes look great, and make them look like boys, but think they could've done more make-up wise to make them look like guys, not girls. Like put the make-up on in a different style, or just put less on.
I think that the bus guide lady was a perfect choice to play the part! She's older and more mature, so she looks like a pretty, nice lady to play a bus guide that teenage boys would drool over. Her voice is also perfect for the little speaches she does at the beginning and the end. She also interacts with the different girls very well. I can see why they chose her!
The PV is really fun! I love the theme: a boys-version of Berryz on a field trip falling in love with their bus guide! It's really funny and interesting to watch how each "boy" reacts differently to the bus guide and their "crush" on her. Miyabi's stalker-letter and I think Maasa's stalker-telescope thingy are probably the highlights of those. also really like how the mood is happy at the beginning, and then switches to being kind of anxious and nervous. I also love the way that they work the singing into the bus scenes, with them singing after her or things such as Chinami whispering into Miyabi's ear.
Finally, I'm a little worried about Miyabi. While I love her nails, (They look like the acrylics that girls at my school wear!) it seems that lots of Japanese schools are strict about fake nails and such, so I'm wondering if maybe she dropped out, or switched to a less strict entertainment school or something, maybe?
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-Midori
Hello!
There's lots of news on the H!P front!
First, the OPV contest. I'm really happy that they're letting the fans have a fun time working on something for the girls!
Here are a few examples besides the one at Hello!Blog.
Also, Mittsui's out for a few weeks for foot surgery!
I wish her luck. She's had a little trouble every spring she's been in Momusu! Hope she gets better soon!
She needs to get surgery to repair the cartilidge on her foot, because of it being detached at the toe. Too much dancing? They need to pay more attention to her health, being the youngest member of the group. Now I can see why they've been keeping her in the lower heels than everyone else lately. It probably would be better for her to stay in the lower heels.
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-Midori
Hi!
This is just so that if you don't want to see my answers, you can just ignore this as a separate post.
Gender- Female (>o.o)>
Approximate age- 13-20 (>o.o)>
1. What was the first pop song you remember liking?
I don't really remember... Maybe "Stop" by the Spice Girls?
2. What bands/music groups/singers did you grow up listening to? (>o.o)>
The Spice Girls, the Backstreet Boys, and N*Sync
3. What bands/music groups/singers were popular when you grew up? (ie. Were on the radio a lot) (>o.o)>
The ones listed above
4. When (What year) did you first hear Jpop that you liked? What groups were popular?
2005-ish. I honestly have no idea.
5. What kind of Jpop/Jrock did you initially like? (>o.o)>
Ayumi Hamasaki. I generally liked pop.
6. Do you still like said kind of Jmusic? (>o.o)>
Of course.
7. Do you still listen to the music in your native language (or some other language) as often as Jpop? (>o.o)>
Yeah! Musicals!
8. If so, what other kind of music to you enjoy listening to? (>o.o)>
Musicals, and some pop like "Poker Face", "Love Story", "Love Song", "Just Dance", and "Hot and Cold"
9. Do you go to concerts/performances of your favorite groups from your country? Do you go to ones for J-pop groups?
No. If I can get tickets to musicals, I'll go, but I usually can't.
10. What do you think about the Jpop industry's future? Do you think that you'll continue to like it for another 5 years? (>o.o)>
I think that it has no future internationally, but it has hope in Japan. I think I'll like it in 5 years, but I never know.
11. What's your favorite group? (>o.o)>
Morning Musume and Buono!
12. Is your favorite song/single/album a Jpop one? (>o.o)> Is it from your favorite artist?
I don't know.
13. Do you like pop from outside of Japan, such as Hannah Montana? (>o.o)>
Hannah Montana, NO WAY!!! Otherwise, on the ice rink, lots of people like to play Katie Perry, Lady Gaga, and others. (And the Korean pop song "Haru haru") So, I like it.
14. Do you like musicals? If so, what's your favorite, and one you really want to see? (This one is just to humor Midori)
Yes; Into the Woods, Evita, Phantom of the Opera, Sweeney Todd, Les Miz, and Wicked; Wicked
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-Midori
Hello!
I just finished a survey, and it sparked me to think of my own survey. For the questions with a little dancing wota, (>o.o)> , by them, I'll be collecting the results, and I'll post them. The other questions are just to add to the others, as a little extra explaination. They'll mainly be doing this out of my own curiousity as to what kind of music is also appreciated by J-idol fans.
In order to get the info, once you've posted a blog entry (if you have a blog) please comment with the link. If you don't have a blog, or don't want to post the results in your blog, just put it in a comment or two.
So, here it goes!
Other info: (This is just for sorting results if I feel like doing it that way)
Gender- M/F/no answer (>o.o)>
Approximate age- 12 & under, 13-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61+, no answer (>o.o)>
1. What was the first pop song you remember liking?
2. What bands/music groups/singers did you grow up listening to? (>o.o)>
3. What bands/music groups/singers were popular when you grew up? (ie. Were on the radio a lot) (>o.o)>
4. When (What year) did you first hear Jpop that you liked? What groups were popular?
5. What kind of Jpop/Jrock did you initially like? (>o.o)>
6. Do you still like said kind of Jmusic? (>o.o)>
7. Do you still listen to the music in your native language (or some other language) as often as Jpop? (>o.o)>
8. If so, what other kind of music to you enjoy listening to? (>o.o)>
9. Do you go to concerts/performances of your favorite groups from your country? Do you go to ones for J-pop groups?
10. What do you think about the Jpop industry's future? Do you think that you'll continue to like it for another 5 years? (>o.o)>
11. What's your favorite group? (>o.o)>
12. Is your favorite song/single/album a Jpop one? (>o.o)> Is it from your favorite artist?
13. Do you like pop from outside of Japan, such as Hannah Montana? (>o.o)>
14. Do you like musicals? If so, what's your favorite, and one you really want to see? (This one is just to humor Midori)
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That's it! Please try and answer by June 2nd!
-Midori
Hello!
I just saw this survey, so I decided to do it for fun. (And since I haven't posted in a while) I'm feeling colorful today!
1. What was the first Japanese song that you ever listened to?
I honestly have no idea. My father used to work for a Japanese bank until I was 8, and I remember he sometimes brought back Japanese tapes and played them, but I don't know what they were... They're probably long gone by now. The first one I remember is the Sailor Moon theme song. That was... 10 years ago. The first J-pop song I was ever really obsessed with was Evolution by Ayumi Hamasaki and that was in 6th grade!
2. Did it inspire you to like that group/singer, or did it turn you away?
I'll just go with evolution, because it was the 1st jpop I remember hearing, but I never found out the artist until I started listening to Ayu after liking Morning Musume for a month or so, and I was surprised to find out that it was her! It didn't turn me away, but it really didn't turn me towards her either.
3. What is the one song that you have been listening to for the longest time?
I don't know! I know STEP YOU by Ayu is the highest by far play count wise on iTunes with about 160, but I also listen to the sounds straight from YouTube a lot. Recently, SONGS and For Good from Wicked and the Evita and Into the Woods soundtracks have been taking up a lot of my listening time.
The jpop song that I still listen to after a really long time is the first Morning Musume song I ever heard: Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari.
4. What group/singer have you liked the longest?
I've liked Ayu the longest, if you want to count Evolution into the count. Otherwise, that would be Morning Musume.
5. What is the song with the most plays on your itunes/media player?
J-pop: STEP YOU
Otherwise: For Good & Defying Gravity
6. Is that song your favorite?
No. My favorite song changes so often! I don't think you could count any song as my favorite.
7. If not, what is?
Anything Broadway on my iTunes. Jpop is great, but stuff from musicals is so much easier to sing along to! Then again, I still love Jpop just as much. I still try to sing along! Also, I have a good vocal range for broadway stuff while a lot of pop stuff including Jpop is in the alto range! (I'm a 2-part Soprano, 3/4-part Mezzo/Second Soprano)
8. Is there any one group that you can listen to all/most of the songs by? If so, who?
Morning Musume and Buono are definately shoo-ins for this category.
9. What is your favorite agency?
I would say UFA, but I don't agree with many of their executive decisions. I like quite a few artists under Avex, and their marketing and audition descisions turn out very well. They choose people who are and will be successful for a long time. Also, the music they produce is more mainstream, and it has something for everyone, not just those who like idolesqe-pop. Though, I must admit UFA has more acts that I like.
10. What is your favorite group/singer?
I really like Morning Musume and Buono! at the moment group-wise, but for soloists, Koda Kumi and Ayumi Hamasaki are way above and beyond the H!P soloists (ex-elder club members included) because of their music.
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-Midori
Hello!
I won't be doing a review of Morning Musume's new PV, because it's just so awesome, so I'll post it here, and from my Buono! PV review, I hope you can know what I think about it.
1. Ame no Furanai Hoshi de wa Aisenai Darou?- This song just illustrated why the new H!P is so different from the old H!P. The newer girls sounded okay, but the second that the Elder Club started singing, it was appearent how much better singer singers they are. Their tone and their showmanship is amazing! The little dance that the eggs started off with was kinda cool, but essentially pointless. The camera work in this concert is just amazing! I love how they actually made an effort to get as many of the girls in close-up shots as possible, and the panning shots looked really good with how the girls were set up. Junlin sound amazing as usual, and they've only improved!
2. ManoPiano- Mano just frankly sucks. I'm sorry, but this song is really incredibally terrible and her vocal tone is really nasally and young. Is she really 17? 'Cause she sounds like she's 12. At most. Also, there are many parts where she seems to go quite flat. Why did they give her a solo carrer again?
3. Minna No Tamago- I didn't fully appreciate how short these girl were until seeing them standing on that stage. Yuuka is quite obviously the only one singing live. She manages to pull it off quite well, but you can tell even without looking that her microphone is on from the way that her voice sounds compared to the others. This was really cute, and because of the cutesy song, they have complete justification for sounding so young, but the 3 in the new unit have to sound much better to pull off any other song.
4. Come Together- The wotas seem really off beat in this song with their "OI's" for some reason. Maybe it's just me. When I saw the dance for this live, it's extremely obvious that it's way too easy for any of the girls. And while Misa is right (I admit defeat, Misa) that the majority of H!P aren't good dancers, this dance is still a piece of cake for them. Give them dances that challenge them, and they'll get better. The performance isn't really spectacular either. The wotas even seem to lose interest by the end. They sound about half as loud at the end as they did from the beginning.
5. Kenchana ~Daijoubu~- While I will admit she's talented in singing, and that she has a jazzy voice, her music isn't good for her voice, and the wotas can't get into it. It's too boring. It's too much of a difference from the loud dance music of the rest of H!P. And while the other elders sing soft songs, at least they come with some sort of beat.
6. Uwaki na Honey Pie- Now, that's better. I like how since they needed girls to harmonize behind her, they put in eggs, but still gave her all of the important stuff. The eggs match her well on stage for this situation. They really know how to back someone up! I can also appreciate the cowboy hat and boots, because weather it was intentional or not, they fit the whole country musume thing.
7. Kuyashi Namida Porori- Look at those wotas go! I really worship the light-stick wota who made light-sticks into the shape of her name! She looks really happy up there, and she looks happy to be retiring from idol-dom. It's long past time for her. I love her in H!P, and I just think she's a great entertainer, but I think she'll be much happier out of the idol bussiness. Even if she's just a TV personality, she won't be tied down by some of the harsher rules of it. She sings this song like the pro she is, and I love the way that she melts some of the notes at the end of the phrase. I highly doubt that if anyone else was doing this song, that I'd like it. It's also nice how she takes the ear things out at the end so she can hear the fans, not herself. That's a true idol.
8. Hapi Hapi Sunday- While Koharu was okay, as usual, she was totally outshined by those two little girls. They may not be quite good dancers or singers yet, they totally make up for it in their own way of just being energetic and cute! They seem so happy to be up there, that they totally outshine Koha who seems to just be doing her job. While these two aren't quite ready to do anything, I think they'll be very good if they take a few more years to devote to training with their new group, and then when all of those girls are 10 or so, and go through non-harsh but weekly or so training for 3 or 4 years, they're group could be very nice.
9. This Is Unmei- KICKS ASS! Not only is MK in the best shape ever, they also manage to get the wotas off their feet and screaming their hearts out for the first time in this concert. From the second they come out, I love how they really work the crowd as a whole, and some of the wotas wearing C-ute, Berryz, and Momusu shirts are just so into this throughout. This is why these girls deserved so much more than they've gotten, sales and music-wise. I also really like how the choreographer used the stage to have them yelling and pointing accross at eachother. It really looked very effective. The girls really looked like they were about to get into a major idol-argument. If there's one group that the H!P eggs and kids need to learn from, it's this one. I also like how when they said "jigoku" (hell) the whole place went black except for the bright red part of the stage they were standing on.
10. Forever Love- Even though I recognise that Berryz deserves more attention because they've been around longer, C-ute continually owns them. The lighting and their expressions work so well during this, but they still didn't steal the show. I think with time, they'll become a great group, but for now, they're doing just amazing!
11. Dakishimete x2- With this dance, it seems that Berryz is attempting to beat C-ute at their own game, and well, quite frankly it doesn't really work. While the singing is just fine, except for a certain Risako's, they don't put out the performance factor quite as well as C-ute does. They don't seem to be as confident, and they just don't own the stage like C-ute. They still do seem to be improving in both areas, though, so maybe having C-ute as a sort of rival is pushing them to do better.
12. Tanpopo- YAYS! More elders again! During this concert, I feel that I'm enjoying the elders 100x more than the younger girls. Maybe it's the vocal quality, or maybe it's their showmanship. First generation Tanpopo owns this. Their vocal quality is so nice. The second that the other 4 stepped on stage, you could feel that this song just wouldn't sound as good. And... as a side note, why is Risa holding her stomach like Kaorin did when she was pregnant? O.o
13. Baby ~KOI NI KNOCKOUT!~- Maybe it's the song, but the wotas are really pumped up for this one! The dance looks fantastic, and they all sound fantastic! I'm surprised that Kei can still dance like that! Yossie looks feirce in all of her close-ups. I really love this trio as pucchi moni. The energy just doesn't stop! Also, their voices fit this kind of music. Then again, Kei's voice fits all kinds of music. Speaking of Kei, her high note at the end was just great! And her face at the end... she must've been possesed by Yossie or something!
14. Chocolate Damashii- Ayaya sounds great here, as she always does and always will. It's kinda freaking me out how her earpiece is shiny. Are they trying to make it obvious or something? I hear no wotas chanting here, so it's either that the song is way too new, that the wotas are still in the process of finding a cheer, or she's just failing at working the wotas into a frenzy like she used to.
15. YEAH! Meccha Holiday- Does she really have a broken toe? The wotas here still aren't quite as worked up as if this had been 6 years ago, but they still are getting into it by this point. It's really funny that you can see some wotas doing the dance at points. She seems kinda boring at the beginning, but when the wotas start going nuts, you can hear her getting happier and more into it herself. She's very good at the dance now compared to when she did this when the single was released.
16. Egao ni Namida- I didn't really like this particular song. It just didn't really work for me. The dance and the way that it was sung just didn't seem good, instead they seemed kinda awkward at points. Anyways, why does she get 3 solo songs? -.-
17. Hare Ame Nochi Suki- This was a really good performance. While I still like the way that Aibon sings her parts, so I was sad that she wasn't there, it still was nice. By the way, why are they singing this song again? At this same concert two years ago they did exactly the same thing with this song: same people, same costumes, same song. They could've at least done Sakuragumi's other song, which they seem to like to forget exists at every recent oppourtunity to perform it. Also, the line changing with Aibon out would've been easier: you could've just stuck Nacchi into singing her part.
18. Ai No Sono ~Touch My Heart~- While I heavily perfer Otomegumi's 2nd single to this one, I still like this performance, but again, instead of a repeat of 2 years ago, could we have had their other single at least? Is it too much to ask? I liked the smooth transition between the groups, and the girls just started to pump the crowd up from the beginning. Nono's singing has improved slightly, but her dancing seems a little awkward, probably due to her long time off stage. (I wonder if her husband was there to see this?) They also manage to work the crowd quite well, but MK still owns everyone in that aspect.
19. Co.No.Mi.Chi.- Someone's slightly flat on the high note in the beginning. Otherwise, this is typical, cool Buono!. I love how quickly they move around the stage. Momoko sounds like she has a bit of a stuffy nose here, but she really seems to be doing her best to ignore it. She's probably the one who was flat. Still, they seemed to do very well here!
20. Debut! Lian Ai Deng Chang- I don't think that they were ready to debut this early, but I guess they did. They still seem quite awkward on stage, and their singing isn't the best. The dance really doesn't look very good either. With more practice, they might improve, but for now, they look like some kids at a school talent show.
21. Hitoshirezu Mune wo Kanaderu no Aki- This song is such a nice one. I love their singing on it. This is such a nice song for women about their age to sing. It's not extremely mature, but it's very slow and sophistocated piece. This song has such a nice melody, and the background music is made more to compliment it, not to match it. The chords at the end are so beautiful I could cry!
22. Magic of Love- These two look so great on stage together. Their personalities are good matches for eachother. This song fits so well with their voices. I think that both of them singing this song was meant to be. I love how they not only look like they love what they're doing, but how they also seem to be so into the song. They may be on the older end for H!P, but they're cetainly not on the end that seem disconnected to their music.
23. Screen- This was very similar to the version of this performed at the elders club concert, so just refer to that one.
24. Suki Na Sempai- This is the second time that they've sung this song and that they've said it's their last time performing together. With how they're always together, and their great chemistry on stage, somehow I doubt it. This song sounds so much better than it did 7 years ago when they first sung it together. They seem so happy to be together on stage and singing. This is the generation that seems to be the one most likely to reunite later.
25. Romantic Ukare Mode- Miki's improved so much since she first joined H!P, that I would usually have a problem with her singing this. Of course, She sounds great as usual, but she doesn't really seem to be as happy singing cute songs, for which the reason is quite obvious: she's older and probably knew that she would soon be a married woman.
26. Kachoiize Japan- While Biyuuden still sucks at singing, they seem to have gotten better here. I liked the starting set up for this. And while they didn't take the usual Biyuuden wears skimpy stuff route, they chose the show off their boobs one, which is equally effective. They make a great group, to the point where it just seems like they became inactive, not broke-up. I love the way that while the Kids are there, they're there to compliment, not take over.
27. Naichau Kamo- I don't really even want to comment on this since this was also a repeat and the members aren't graduating.
28. Resonant Blue- Resonant Blue sounds good when it's just Morning Musume. While adding other girls in doesn't change the sound, it's kind of really pointless on a song with line distribution like this one. This is a good performance, and I think by now the girls can do this in their sleep, and it looks like they're doing just that. It seems so rehearsed, and not in a good way. This song has to seem spontaneous and kind of like a fit, similar to Shabondama.
29. Namida no Iro- These costumes look just fabulous on stage. Also, Airi's hair appears to be channeling Tracy Turnblad's here. It's even puffier than earlier! The C-ute girls dance just wonderfully during the dance break and generally just own. They seem to be way more into this than Morning Musume, but I can see how considering that they are a lot younger than Morning Musume, and that this is the first song in a while.
30. MADAYADE- Berryz really shouldn't have sung this one instead of something else. I don't know why, but Madayade just doesn't look good the way that they performed it, and for some reason, they just don't seem on top of their game. I can't say that I don't like Berryz, but they were definately given the wrong songs and the wrong expectations for this show.
31. Morning Coffee- I love how the first generation is singing their exclusive 1st generation song. Their voices make such beautiful music in the harmonizing on this song. I love how they sing it. The harmonizing can't be done nearly as well by anyone except the first generation. They also seem like a very close generation. I think that they seem to enchant when they're singing, whereas the other H!P members pump them up. There's something to be said for good old performing, not just acting hyper on a stage.
32. Koko ni Iruzee- This is the other side of Morning Musume: Hyper and fun. The way that they all burst onto stage like that is surprising, and then they go straight into the song. I've always loved the lives of this song because of the enthusiasm that goes into it. While some Morning Musume songs are insanely hyper like this one, this one really seems to be the most fun of them to perform. They just look like they're having fun doing such a crazy dance! Also, when Makoto says "I'm here!", you can really tell how good she's gotten at english. She seems to be a pro at that line. It's also kinda funny how you can see Ai really quickly kick her leg over Makoto's head while she's singing! I can kick my leg over someone's head who's taller than me, but she seems to do it so effortlessly and fast that it's hard to notice!
33. Love Machine- JunLin own the "Oo's" at the beginning: they're the only two I've seen sing them where you can hear their voice over the back-up. Iida does her priceless "Deiyaa" face, and all of Morning Musume performs together one last time before their next anniversary rolls around. I love how they don't seem bored with this song, even after preforming it close to 500 times!
34. Michi Naru Mirai He- I skipped over this for no appearent reason.
MC: Graduation- This really made me cry! It was so emotional. I started bawling when Yuko and Ai traded letters! I think that it was just so emotional!
35. ALL FOR ONE & ONE FOR ALL- This is such a perfect ending, I can't describe it! I think that this song is such a great way to see how H!P has changed over the years. I love how they're singing the "H!P Anthem" one last time as it was meant to be sung, in the order that H!P was built up, before the moment has to be over.
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Your Bawling Blogger.
-Midori
He~ello!
I LOVE BUONO TO DEATH!!!!!!
Can I say more? And their new PV is finally out. This will be quick since I'd like to save the insanely long posts for when I decide to write up this year's Haro!Pro awards/graduation bananza.
Anyways, here's the PV:
I LOVE THIS!!!
Everything is going right here! There's extras in an H!P PV, and the budget is awesome! two high-quality costumes and a great set. There's even a plot! They're getting more that Morning Musume is!!! Buono is moving up in the world! And they deserve it! The music is much better than Co.No.Mi.Chi, it fits Buono more. I really hope that Buono continues, even after Shugo Chara ends. They're so awesome~! I also love how the plot is Ninja!Buono sneaking into a building to steal the most heavily guarded cake I've ever seen.
Anyways, this new PV has led me to come up with my own ideas for how H!P should run without money flowing to the elders:
If this is the way that H!P is going now that there's not any extra money going to the elders club, who did nothing, I'm really excited. H!P may get a new, longer TV show, and better PVs, and maybe even more TV appearences. Now all they have to do is wipe that idol image off of them, and they're set! It's no secret that AKB48's sales have shot up since they started making dramas and created their own variety show for TV. It's also to be noted that the more interesting a PV is, the more likely people are to buy it. There was one song that came out a few months ago in Japan, which had cross-dressing men singing something like disco music. It's certantly interesting and eyecatching, and it's been selling extremely well. Other popular singers such as Koda Kumi or Ayumi Hamasaki have cool, eyecatching PVs, and they sell well. As for why Johnnys selling so extraordinarily well, it might not only be that they've been around so damn long, but also because right now, male singers are simply selling way better.
While the idol image is popular with the fans, and while the H!P parents may like it, anyone could tell you that no matter where you are, you can't make it into the entertainment world without scandals and publicity stunts. Scandals or relationships in J-pop may tick off the most creepy fans, but they don't ruin your carrer, they help it. How many wota seriously care if their girl is a virgin? I've already watched the winter concert, and I can testify to the fact that Nono and Kaorin got just as many cheers as any of the others even though they're married women. Also, how many celebrities have gotten famous because of who they marry or date. Not only in the U.S., but it also happens elsewhere. Has anyone else noticed that Nono's husband seems to have gotten all of these jobs since their relationship has started, and Nono herself has gotten many new oppourtunites from her relationship, weather it's the being a mother part, or just getting married. You'll often find that scandals can also raise publicity and intrest. When H!P was at its height, a scandal wouldn't get someone suspended, and in fact, it raised the publicity and intrest in H!P, which probably helped H!P stay popular. The second that they stopped tolerating scandals and were more conscious of what their girls did dating-wise, H!P stopped getting that publicity, and their sales dropped drastically.
So, scandals are good, and the more money they spend on getting the girls out and promoted, the better. This PV is certainly a step towards getting the PVs to get interesting so people will watch them, not just girls running around.
-Midori
HHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!
I have too much energy today!
Since life would have me worshiping Linlin at the moment, the costume example photos will be mainly of her, but there will be some others thrown in. Actually, I wasn't able to find too many Linlin pictures, but I used the ones I found.
To start off, there's so many costumes for this concert, that Momusu has certantly stepped up their budget. That's not to say that they're good, but it's to say that they're spending more. I have no idea what songs these costumes are for, but I could hazard a guess on one or two.
I'll be doing the overall and BAC as usual for kicks.
Linlin's unique costume!
I actually know a number of girls who would love this outfit and wear it to school if it was more normal, so I can't criticize it too much. It may actually be really cute in browns and without that hideous flower stuck on her head!
I really like how they're at least attempting to dress Momusu more normally. While this style of dress may look like a tent, it actally is in style right now, so I have no complaints.
Overall: 4/5
BAC: 0.02 (For good measure on the color)
The Black & Silver zipper dresses
These actually aren't bad at all. I really like how they look like Morning Musume in the cut of the dresses, but that they seem to be going more innovative in the giant zippers. While these are really too shiny for me to fully appreciate, and I don't like how the zipper ends at the top instead of on the dress, I definately agree with the direction that these were going. If they zipped down and revealed a blace mini-dress underneath to accent the over-dress and distract from the shiny-ness, these might have been even better.
Overall: 4/5
BAC: 0.04 (Because of how the zipper ends and the uselessness of it's size)
The Marching Band-style uniforms
I'm really seeing Black and silver as a theme for this concert. Not that I mind it.
These costumes seem to remind me of Micheal Jackson on some perverse level...
These would only be good in the case that they're worn for SONGS. They seem to fit my image of what the costumes for that song would look like: darker, more mysterious colors, and marching band-esque.
If SONGS isn't at least in the set, there's no excuse for these.
Overall: 3/5
BAC: 0.03 (Really, why would you want to make anyone think of Micheal Jackson in anyway other than Jackson 5 or the Thriller dance?)
The OMGBBQWTF Outfits
I have no idea what drove anyone to create these...
They must have been really drunk. I feel like they just took a bunch of extra fake flowers from a kids show, along with some really retro fabric and glued them into a dress. Along with some random hats, buttons and belts.
Can you really call this a costume?
These are even worse than the fluff-covered nightmares form fall '07! Really, those at least looked sort-of thought-through, and not "a kids show barfed on me".
Look at it and watch your eyes burn. Or play I Spy.
Overall: 0/5
BAC: 0.3 (Or however drunk you can be without passing out or dying)
The "Mexican" costumes
Really, what were they thinking again?
If these didn't have the fake little hats, they might have been at least a little better.
Frankly though. I hate these.
Overall: 1.5/5
BAC: 0.2
The Take Off Is now dresses
I know what song these are for because of the poses she was in while the photos were taken. All of them are straight out of this dance.
By the way, did she sneak into Nono's closet and steal all of her bows, belts, and necklaces possible to?
This whole ensemble would have been perfect for her without either of the giant bows or the collar. The gloves also look really bad because they're way too big for her.
Make them classy, but don't try too hard at it!
Overall: 3/5
BAC: 0.15 (Or however drunk you'd need to be to break into the Sugiura residence and steal some stuff)
The Frilly Schoolgirl Dresses
I would've LOVED these if the skirts weren't so poofy. And covered in random crap.
These costumes look rather HUGE on the girls up top, and they'd look a lot bettrer if they were tighter, less foofy, and dare I say it... shorter.
The one thing that really bugs me about these is how many little adornments they put on the skirt. Really, all they needed was the one little one on top. Did the designers not go on a drunken fluff rampage, but a drunk adornment rampage?
Overall: 2.5/5
BAC: 0.1
The Sexy Cat Outfits
These could've been better without the fake tails.
These costumes look kinda like ones that american singers would wear: they look like snazzed-up and sexy sweat-suits with the lace-up boots. While the fabric's pattern and the excessive bows/frills are slightly off that track, it's certantly closer to american singers than most stuff they have worn in the past and continue to wear. I think Koharu's from this set looks closest, but I just had to post the picture of Reina for some reason.
Overall: 4/5
BAC: 0.06 (When accounting for the frills and bows)
The Sexy Princess Costumes
I LOVE THESE!
When I first saw them, I was really hated them. Of course, it was in all the cell phone photos, so I couldn't see all the details of them.
Once you see the length with the bows and the lace, they seem like sexy, mature costumes to wear. I really like this set. It seems to fit the current Momusu: It's still poofy, and pink to represent their idol image, but the more sexy and mature image of the whole thing put together is what makes these costumes work, and work well.
They also look like something more mainstream for J-pop. If there was one Momusu costume in recent memory that I could see Ayumi Hamasaki, Koda Kumi, or some other famous J-pop diva wear in a concert, these would be them: Sexy, mature, and cute, rolled into one!
Overall: 5/5
BAC: 0.06 (They'd need to be slightly drunk at least to consider putting Morning Musume in these because of how contrary they are to the rest of the set.)
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Avg Overall Score: 3/5
Overall, the designers must have had a beer party for this concert, did they ever!
-Midori
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tama said:
Yeah, this post is old, but anyways... I actually laughed a lot reading this, you have a great sense of... read more
on 10 Things I'd do if I took over... AKB48 -
Tezra said:
Hey Midori, Here's my blog post on this survey http://tezrasplayground.blogspot.com/2009/05/midori-survey-your-j-pop-and-other.html read more
on Midori's survey: Your J-pop and other music preferences -
Nayoko-Kihara said:
I couldn't resist. .-. The last question made me have to fill this out. Gender- Female. Approximate age- 13-201. What... read more
on Midori's survey: Your J-pop and other music preferences -
Nayoko-Kihara said:
[this is good]I couldn't resist. .-. The last question made me have to fill this out. read more
on Midori's survey: Your J-pop and other music preferences
Wow. Just who is this bus-guide lady? Reminds me of Hamasaki, only nicer. read more
on Berryz Koubou morphs... into teenage guys